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About the course

The Dixons School Direct Programme is almost entirely school based, you will be in classrooms working as a professional from the first week of the course. You will receive mentoring, coaching, co-planning and training sessions with a focus on what it takes to be a great teacher in our diverse communities. Leeds Trinity University will support our course by providing theory sessions while subject specialists will provide a bespoke programme to enable you to develop your knowledge and skills in your subject area.

All our trainees comment on the excellent organisation and professional approach of the staff running the course. They also identified the high level of personal support they each received during the year.

Throughout the year you will be assessed against The Teachers' Standards through lesson observations, assignments and reflections on your impact on student progress. At the end of the training year you will achieve a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education) and QTS (Qualified Teacher Status).

If you gain employment in one of our Dixons schools you will receive continued professional development throughout your teaching career with us through the Dixons Teaching School.

For exceptional Trainees we can guarantee an NQT (Newly Qualified Teacher) position in one of our Dixons schools for 2020-21. This applies only for the EBacc subjects of English, Maths, Science, History, Geography and MFL.

Interview process

If shortlisted, you will be asked to:

teach a 20 minute ‘lesson’ to 6-10 KS3 students (KS5 students for Business Studies and Social Sciences) on a topic of your choice

undertake a Subject Knowledge Test (the assessment is designed to initially assess your subject knowledge and your written communication)

have a formal interview where you will be asked to reflect on your 'lesson', deliver a short presentation on a given topic and answer questions to ascertain your suitability for our course

You will also have a tour of the school and the opportunity to talk to students from Dixons City Academy.

How school placements work

Trainees will teach in two different and contrasting Dixons schools during the School Direct programme. Placements will be selected to meet the personal needs of individual trainees. Trainees will also have the opportunity to experience the other Dixons schools (including the new schools in Leeds) to enable them to fully immerse themselves in our unique Dixons ethos and culture.

Fees

The course fees for 2019/2020 are as follows:

Student type

Fees to pay

UK students

£9,250

EU students

£9,250

International students

£11,750

Financial support

You could be eligible for either:

a scholarship of £22,000

a bursary of £20,000

With a scholarship or bursary, you’ll also get early career payments of £5,000 each in your third and fifth year of teaching (£7,500 in some areas of England).

To qualify for a scholarship you’ll need a degree of 2:1 or above in maths or a related subject. For a bursary you’ll need a 2:2 or above in any subject.

You can’t claim both a bursary and a scholarship - you can only claim one.

Requirements

Qualifications

A strong belief in the potential of every child, regardless of background

Excellent academic qualifications including:

2:2 or above in a relevant Degree

Solid and relevant A levels

Solid GCSEs including A*/A-C in English & Maths

A passion for teaching and your subject

The ability to reflect on feedback and use this to improve

High amounts of resilience (as the programme will be challenging, but equally, with high amounts of support)

It also helps if you've had:

Previous School Experience (or trained others/worked with young people)

Personal qualities

We are looking for people who have a strong and passionate desire to inspire and transform the lives of young people.

You must have a passion for teaching, have the required academic qualifications and have potentially had recent experience of a school environment (or have worked with young people in another context).

You must also be confident, willing to learn, resilient and have good interpersonal skills. In return we offer a professional environment providing rigorous training that will give you an excellent foundation for your future career enabling you to become the best teacher you can be.